Akbar brutal, Babur ruthless: New Class 8 NCERT textbook

Mughal era: Aurangzeb, a military ruler

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NEW DELHI: Akbar's regime was a blend of "brutality" and "tolerance", Babur a "ruthless conqueror" while Aurangzeb was a "military ruler" who reimposed taxes on non-muslims, says the NCERT's new Class 8 textbook while describing the reign of Mughal emperors.

The book, "Exploring Society: India and Beyond", released this week, is the first in the new NCERT curriculum to introduce students to the Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Marathas and the colonial era.

While earlier versions covered some of these topics in Class 7, the NCERT says the timeline has now been shifted entirely to Class 8, in line with the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023.

At the beginning of the book is a section titled "Note on Some Darker Periods in History", where the NCERT offers context for the inclusion of sensitive and violent events, primarily war and bloodshed.